Leaving
by LapsusStili
Summary: Will Sara change her mind about going? GSR. backdated Unbound Challenge


Rating: T (suggestive adult themes)

Spoilers: None

Disclaimers: These characters belong to someone with more talent, money, and luck than I possess.

Author's Note: Written in response to the Unbound Challenge from 14 Aug 2005.

**Leaving**

_by Lapsus Stili_

"**When are you leaving?"** Grissom asked.

Sara smiled warmly as she handed him a folder over the teetering stacks of files that cluttered his desk.

"As soon as you sign off on this report."

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" he pursued, scanning her beautiful face for even a trace of hesitation. He found none.

"I'm sure, Gris. We both know that this has been a long time coming."

Before the conversation could continue, Greg poked his head into Grissom's office, his mouth poised to spit out the results of his lastest DNA comparison. He was immediately sidetracked when he saw Sara standing there, and his eyes lit up.

"Oh, good, you're still here!" he blurted while pulling himself fully into the room. "We'll miss you Sara," he continued, as he leaned into her for a tentative half-hug. "Don't forget to wri…"

"Greg!" Grissom curtly interrupted the young man's ramblings, an expectant look on his face indicating that he would very much like to know how the test had turned out.

The blushing tech took a step back from Sara, catching the quick wink she shot his way before he refocused on his boss.

"Oh, ya, he's definitely our guy! I got a perfect match in CODIS to the saliva sample you collected from the vic's…well, you know…her…body…" he stammered, uncomfortable with the strange details of this particular case.

With satisfaction apparent in his expression, Grissom said his thanks and sent Greg scuttling back to the lab. Returning his gaze to the brunette still leaning her hip against the front of his desk, his face became softer again as he picked up where they had left off, as though there had been no interruption at all.

"You know, you're going miss all the excitement around here."

"Come on, don't try to change my mind," she told him, "You know what a great opportunity this is, and it may not present itself again. It's now or never."

They looked deep into one another's eyes until the intensity became too much. Sara twisted around to examine his wall of butterfly specimens for about the billionth time in the past five years; Grissom turned his attention to the pen he was fiddling with on his desk, his heart pounding fiercely against his ribs.

Again he spoke calmly, hiding all traces of his emotions. "I know how important this is. Don't think for one minute that I doubt that. I just…I can't believe that even after all we've been through…after all this time…I just thought..."

But he never finished the thought, trailing off instead into a weak sigh. It was ok though, because Sara knew exactly what he meant. After all, the same thoughts had been dancing around in her own head since she finally made this decision a few weeks ago.

Slowly she made her way around to kneel beside his chair, spinning him to face her and cupping her hand gently along his cheek for a brief moment.

"You know how much you mean to me. I've made no secret of that." Her soothing voice caressed his heart as he stared into her soul. "And I know what's in your heart…what you can't seem to say. But we've danced around each other long enough, don't you think? No more games, Gris."

He drew in a shaky breath. The tension in the room was thick now, and neither cared that the office door was standing wide open, that anyone walking by could see their shadowed figures as they unconsciously leaned in closer. One look in her glassy eyes then and he knew for sure that this was how it had to be.

Finally a slow smile graced his features, causing her heart to lurch as it always did. He raised his hands to glide up each side of her neck, slipping back so his fingers could run into the back of her silky brown hair. Now it was her turn to shudder as her eyes slid shut.

"Alright then, Miss Sidle, since there's obviously no talking you out of this, I guess I'll have to let you go now."

He closed the distance between them to place a gentle flutter of a kiss on each closed eyelid. Drawing back in silence, he willed her to open her eyes. And she did. Sara smiled her perfect gap-toothed smile for him alone, sliding her hands along his forearms in feathery-light strokes.

"I should be done here in another hour, and then I'll be by to pick you up," he said with more conviction than before. "Will that give you enough time to finish packing?"

Nodding away she replied, "Are you kidding me? We're leaving this morning for a 3-week holiday in Maui, and you honestly don't think that I've been packed since about an hour after you asked me last month? How often are we going to be able to take this many vacation days at the same time?" His grin now matched that of his love, the last of his own doubts dissipating.

"Well, I just had to be sure that you hadn't changed your mind, Sara. This is a big step for us, and I don't want to rush you into anything."

"Rush me? God, babe, you just don't get it, do you?" she gushed, then lowering her voice she added wryly, "You could sweep all this paperwork onto the floor and take me right here, right now, and I would not feel rushed in the least!"

He was the perfect picture of shock – wide eyes, dry mouth, tense muscles, and a quick intake of air. He couldn't think of a thing to say in response, but oh how his imagination was working in overtime now.

Sara bit her bottom lip and batted her eyes at the dumbfounded man in front of her. A speechless Grissom was a rare, but amusing treat. A throaty laugh escaped her then, and she cocked her head to one side.

"**What, no witty retort?"**


End file.
